'Elevated' radioactivity at UK nuclear plant, staffing reduced

Elevated levels of radioactivity have been detected at the Sellafield nuclear reprocessing plant in Britain and staffing there has been reduced, its operators said Friday.

The move to reduce staff at the plant in northern England was a "conservative" decision and only essential workers were being asked to report for their shifts, but the plant was otherwise operating "normally".

The levels of radioactivity were not high enough to necessitate any action outside the site in Cumbria, the operators Sellafield Ltd said.

"Levels of radioactivity detected are above naturally occurring radiation but well below that which would call for any actions to be taken by the workforce on or off the site," the operator said.

It said elevated levels of radioactivity had been detected at one of the on-site radiation monitors.

A spokeswoman for Britain's Department of Energy and Climate Change said: "There is no risk to the public or workforce and the site is still open."